Top 10 Best LED Grow Lights of 2019

Every year we create a list of some of the best LED grow lights on the market. There are many lights to choose from, so this list is not exhaustive.

All of the lights 10 lights in this list will cover at least a 4'x4' area for flowering. This Best LED Grow Lights of 2019 list includes a mix of the following light fixtures:

LED Grow Lights Depot Bestsellers

LED grow lights we think are well built and have impressive specifications (light output, PAR efficacy, uniformity), and/or...

Lights we think are underrated (performing fixtures that are not well known and are fairly priced)

Furthermore, the Best LED Grow Lights 2019 list is in no particular order. We believe that ranking the lights is not the best way to represent them since one light may suit a particular grower better than another fixture depending on their lighting requirements, environment, grow space, etc.

So without further ado, enjoy this list of the Top 10 Best LED Grow Lights of 2019!

(Watch video version below or skip it and read the blog...)

Horticulture Lighting Group HLG 550 V2

Top seller. High PAR efficacy using quality components.

Application: Home grow, commercial

The Horticulture Lighting Group HLG 550 V2 (released mid-2018) replaces a 1000 watt HPS and only draws 480 watts at the wall while boasting a 2.5 umol/j efficacy. The fixture utilizes 1152 Top-Bin Samsung LM301B diodes while emitting a PPF of 1178 umol/s across four custom-designed QB288 quantum boards. These efficacy numbers make the HLG 550 one of the most efficient LED grow lights on the market.

The HLG 550 V2 is designed to flower a 4' x 4' area or veg a 6’ x 6’ area. The fixture is available in two spectrums: 3000k or 4000K. The 3000K spectrum is ideal for full-cycle growth from seed to harvest or for flowering only. The 4000K spectrum is best for keeping plants stout during veg and/or increasing quality during flower.

The industry's flagship unit is passively-cooled, eliminating the use for cooling fans. The quantum boards sit on an anodized aluminum heatsink panel. The back of the panel contains a Mean Well HLG driver, dimmable down to ~240 watts via a built-in screw.

At the end of 2018, the HLG 550 V2 was ETL/CSA certified for commercial grows.

The Gavita LED grow light has a very large form factor, measuring 44" x 44". This form factor creates an extremely even footprint throughout a 4' x 4' area (see video below for PAR measurements). The fixture's thin profile makes it ideal for multi-level growing, but it can also be used in grow rooms and grow tents.

Commercial growers will benefit from the adapter and Gavita controller which allows the Gavita LED grow light to be chained together and centrally controlled. The Gavita controller allows dimming (down to 50%), on/off functionality, sunrise/sunset effects, and more. The fixture is UL listed for commercial applications.

The Gavita LED is very comparable to the Fluence 2p. However, the Gavita LED is less expensive, it exudes more light, and is slightly more efficient.

NextLight Mega

Top seller. Commercial-grade white light fixture with Samsung diodes.

The NextLight Mega (released May 2016) replaces a 1000W DE HPS while only drawing 650 watts. The LED lifetime is rated at 100,000 hours, which is 20 years on a 12/12 cycle.

The full-spectrum 3000K/5000K white Samsung LM561B+ diodes are heavy in blue and green, while providing sufficient red for flowering.

The Mega measures 37" x 37" and is passively-cooled (no cooling fans). The wide form factor and thin profile allow the heat to dissipate without additional heatsinks or fans. It also helps create a more even footprint without any hotspots or low PAR readings.

The NextLight Mega is available with a Com-Port ($25) and dimmer ($75) for central communication and dimming capability. The unit is also daisy-chainable to an additional fixture which allows you to cut down the number of cords you need to run to the power supply.

The Mega is designed and manufactured in the USA.

This is the perfect fixture for tents, grow rooms, or commercial grows. The fixture is UL listed for commercial applications.

While we do not have efficiency data for this fixture, we really like it because of the name-brand diodes, Mean Well drivers, and controllability (dimming + spectrum control) of the fixture. These features, plus the PAR readings in a 4’x4’ area, indicate a solid fixture that will grow and flower with great results.

Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 800

Heavy duty. Perfect flower spectrum.

Application: Home grow, commercial

The Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 800 will replace more than a 1000 watt HPS with higher yields and better quality results while using less electricity.

The PhytoMAX-2 800 utilizes 420 Top-Bin 5W LEDs from industry leaders such as Cree and Osram, rated at 50,000 hours. The unit is advertised to cover up to a 6’ x 6’ for flower and veg a 7.5’ x 7.5’ area. However, for the best results, it is recommended to be used in a 4’ x 4’ to 5’ x 5’ flower area.

Black Dog's PhytoGenesis Spectrum can be used for both veg and flower, which helps reduce stalling associated with spectrum changes. The spectrum ranges from UVA to Far Red and includes a healthy amount of green to naturalize the light for easy viewing and to help increase photosynthesis inside the leaves and canopy.

The modularity of the Electric Sky system allows you to spread the light over a larger area for even coverage. Place the two units closer together or further apart depending on the light intensity and coverage area that you would like to achieve.

The unit is passively-cooled and the driver is contained within the center of the grow light making this one slick LED grow light.

Horticulture Lighting Group HLG-600H DIY

High-quality, high PPF DIY LED light at an affordable price

Application: Home grow

The Horticulture Lighting Group HLG-600H (released late-2017 and updated mid-2018) by Horticulture Lighting Group is an affordable, but high-quality and powerful light engine for those who don't mind a DIY project.

This fixture can be put together in as little as 20 to 30 minutes (no soldering required!) and features 4 x QB288 3000K Quantum Boards and an Inventronics driver. A bluetooth controller and scheduler is now available with this fixture as of March 2019.

There is enough light emitted from this passively-cooled fixture to cover up to a 5' x 5' flower footprint with only 620W pulled from the wall. This is made possible by the high-efficiency LM301B Samsung chips.

This DIY fixture will deliver the most amount of light for your money, while allowing you access to some of the highest quality components on the market.

California Lightworks SolarXtreme 1000

Full spectrum plug-and-play fixture at an affordable price

Application: Home grow

The California Lightworks SolarXtreme 1000 (released late-2018) is perfect for the home grower who wants an affordable, yet powerful, plug-and-play option without any frills.

Unlike California Lightworks flagship SolarSystem series, the SolarXtreme series does not integrate with a controller. All you need to do to operate it is plug it into a timer, and you are set to flower in a 4'x4' to 5'x5' area.

The SolarXtreme 1000 uses unique driverless COBs that emits a full spectrum heavy in wideband red (red to far-red). Red, in conjunction with far-red, helps boost photosynthesis via the Emerson Effect. The diodes are cooled by quiet, high-efficiency cooling fans.

Crecer Lighting PanthrX

Focused, even coverage; horticulture spectrum

The full-spectrum is made up of name brand (Cree and Osram), full-spectrum diodes covered by 90° secondary lenses. The diodes are passively-cooled.

Each of the two drivers contains dimming leads that allow you to install an optional dimmer (not included) on each side for full dimming capabilities.

The PanthrX measures 30.5" x 20.3" and is passively-cooled.

We measured the PAR in a 4'x4' tent and were extremely impressed with the PAR output and coverage/uniformity. The edges and corners were a lot higher than many of the other lights we have tested. At 1305 umol/s and only $849, this fixture exudes a lot of light for your money.

This fixture is ideal for tents, grow rooms, or commercial grows and is ETL and cETL listed for commercial grows.

Enter your email in the footer for your Free 'LED Grow Light Buyer's Guide Checklist' and get 5% off your next order with LED Grow Lights Depot.

5 comments

by Bigguygrowzon May 01, 2019

Ives used purple and quantum boards, but I will never go back after buying cobs I’ve got them in all my tents now , denser buds and more compact plant growth check them out yourself the warranty sells itself Pics for reference.
https://imgur.com/a/0LxqbwV